Strangely Normal - By Tess Oliver Page 0,81
By the end of the shift, my feet were tired, my apron was crusty, and my pockets were filled with tip money. I was pleased and excited about my first shift until Megan came over to dampen my spirits.
“Hey, I refilled the water on that table of yours in the back corner while you were busy with another customer,” Megan said, and I knew exactly where this was going. “So half of their tip is mine.”
I looked at her. “Really? You think one round of water filling is worth half of the tip?”
“Damn right I do.”
I shrugged. “That suits me just fine because while you wandered to the back to text your friends, I filled the water at three of your tables.” I walked over and touched the ends of each table that I’d assisted with. “So, I guess half of those tips belong to me.”
Megan’s mouth twisted to the side as she realized she’d backed herself into a corner.
“Or we could just call it even,” I said.
Megan stuttered over her response. “F—fine.” She stomped past me to the kitchen area. Charlie shot me a wink and a thumbs up.
“She’s in an extra bad mood because her guy didn’t come in, and it’s hard to know if he’ll ever come back.” Charlie started wiping down the tables and booths, and I picked up a cloth to help her. Just as quickly as the rush had started, it had diminished to two older men leaning over the counter sipping their coffees. “She actually thought she had a chance with him, I guess. Megan bounces from guy to guy hoping something will stick, but, so far, no luck.” She looked at me with a crinkled nose. “To be honest, I think she scares them off.”
“After what I just witnessed, I don’t doubt it.” I dipped my rag into the hot bucket of soapy water and wrung it out.
Charlie did the same. “This guy didn’t look like the kind who could be intimidated though. A real hottie— with attitude to boot.” She laughed. “You did real great today. I think Billy made a good choice. He comes in less and less to check on the place. His arthritis is really starting to takes its toll on him. Anyhow, Megan has sort of appointed herself the boss around here. I just pretend and put up with it.”
“That’s probably easiest,” I said, although I doubted I’d be able to put up with too much of it. I’d already decided to just stay clear of her whenever possible.
“Hey, my boyfriend is coming by to pick me up. We were going to catch a movie. Do you want to come along?”
“That’s really nice of you Charlie, but to be honest, I’m beat. I think I’ll just go up, shower off the smell of French fries, and plop down on the bed.”
She started gathering up ketchup bottles. “You’ll get used to being on your feet soon enough. What were you doing before you started here?”
I didn’t know how to respond, and truthfully, it wasn’t a job I could explain in a word or even a sentence for that matter. “I was sort of person-sitting. I know it sounds strange, but technically, that’s what it was.”
Charlie’s neatly plucked brows lifted in confusion, but she didn’t pursue the topic. “Anyhow, I’m glad you’re here now.” She inclined her head toward the kitchen area where Megan had stomped off to. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “It was kind of hard working alone with Miss Bossy Pants.”
“Thanks, Charlie. I’m glad to be here.” We finished the shift. Megan left before everything was done, but I was just as pleased to see her go. Charlie’s boyfriend, Cody, picked her up, and I locked up the diner.
Billy had told me I could eat whatever I liked from the kitchen, so I made myself a cheese sandwich and climbed the stairs to my room, thinking about the first cheese sandwich I’d made with Finley. Earlier when Billy had shown me the place, it looked simple, clean and livable. Now it looked dreary and sad.
I sat on the bed and picked at the sandwich realizing just how lonely the place was after the diner had closed up for the day. Traffic buzzed by every few seconds, and I could hear shouting and the clamor of wood being tossed around across the street at the construction site. But I felt completely alone. My life had gone from zero to a thousand miles an hour and back